Cryptic Blend

by Kennedy Layne

  Cryptic Blend

  A Paramour Bay Mystery

  Book Seven

  KENNEDY LAYNE

  CRYPTIC BLEND

  Copyright © 2019 by Kennedy Layne

  Kindle Edition

  eBook ISBN: 978-1-943420-79-7

  Print ISBN: 978-1-943420-80-3

  Cover Designer: Sweet ’N Spicy Designs

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  Dedication

  Jeffrey—Nothing cryptic about it! I love you…

  Cole—Your freshman year of college is now complete, and you’re already beginning a career that you love. We are so proud of you!

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  About the Book

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  About Broomstick Blend

  Books by Kennedy Layne

  About the Author

  Ghosts, goblins, and ghouls go bump in the night in the latest installment of the Paramour Bay Mysteries by USA Today Bestselling Author Kennedy Layne…

  The residents in the small coastal town of Paramour Bay are sorting through their unwanted belongings and setting up card tables in their driveways in order to get ready for their annual community garage sale.

  Raven Marigold hasn’t lived in town long enough to contribute to the garage sale, but she sure is ready to find some basement bargains. Armed with a small reserve of cash and a large tote for her treasure trove, she wasn’t prepared for her familiar to make a shocking discovery of an authentic sapphire pendant. You see, the disturbing part of such a find was that the pendant belonged to a resident…one who’d been buried with it.

  A haunted cemetery, an empty crypt, and a rather curious raccoon are all cryptic clues in another magical mystery that will leave you gasping for breath until the very last page!

  Chapter One

  The warmth of the sun had hit that perfect temperature. You know the moment, the one right at the end of the day before evening truly set in. It was such a magical time, and it made me wish that I was sitting in my patio chair overlooking the water of the bay.

  As it stood, I was currently browsing through the various jumbled tables at the annual garage sale. There were rows upon rows of long forgotten but once cherished knickknacks, board games with most of the pegs still present, and puzzles missing that one jigsaw piece that would haunt a person for days.

  Granted, it was going on six o’clock in the early evening. Most of the gently used items had been picked over more than once, but it was still fun to get into the spirit of cleaning house. I hadn’t lived in Paramour Bay long enough to accumulate excess material treasures that I no longer needed nor wanted. It was one of the reasons I’d come armed with a small stack of ones and a tote for any pearl I could snatch away from the jaws of destiny.

  The charming neighborhoods of our community were busy with neighbors and families milling about in the small collection of driveways of appealing two-story Cape Cod-style homes common to the environs of coastal Connecticut. They each came with their perfectly manicured lawns. I swear, it made me wonder who made up the committee that graded the effort each homeowner put in as they clipped each blade of grass with a pair of sewing scissors.

  The weather this month had been absolutely fabulous, and the sweet fragrance of fresh cut grass hung in the air along with the sweet blooms of the lilac bushes. The birds were chirping high up in the trees, thankful for the abundant bounty in their native breeding grounds after the now forgotten spring migration north. The bumblebees were busy pollinating nature’s bouquet of flowers, and sales at the shop were higher than ever before.

  My Nan would be ecstatic at the amount of revenue Tea, Leaves, & Eves had drawn in this quarter, and we still had a month left on the books. It seemed my small contribution of coffee inventory to the business had been realized, and the shop was a success beyond my wildest dreams.

  This quaint coastal town of Paramour Bay, Connecticut had become a home to me only this past October after the unexpected death of my grandmother, Rosemary Lattice Marigold. We hadn’t been very close before her passing, and I very much regretted that my mother had done her best to keep us apart during the most influential years of my life.

  Technically, I hadn’t spoken to my Nan for close to twelve years prior to her attorney’s call on my cell phone to inform me of her passing and my inheritance. Even though I hadn’t known it at the time, it was a phone call that had changed the course of my life…in many, many ways.

  “You have got to see this cute wicker basket that Dee Fairuza has for only three dollars,” Heidi Connolly exclaimed, sidling up to me with a tote full of magnificent items herself. My best friend had gotten a head start on me earlier this afternoon, but my shop’s hours were from eight to five o’clock, six days a week, and my part-time employee had the day off. “The weave is actually varnished in a deep cherry color with a red ribbon accent. Can you believe the coincidence? Oh, and it would go perfect in my new office on the credenza behind my desk.”

  Heidi and I had very different tastes, but I’d kept that in mind when I’d created the hex bag for her as a congratulatory office gift—which just so happened to be made with black rustic burlap and a red bow accent. I’d put the finishing touches on the magical gift last night. Let’s just say I’m not quite the expert at casting spells, so generating a magical hex bag that warded off evil spirits had taken me a few weeks to perfect. The silver lining in the rough weave of the burlap was that nothing bad had occurred after the final binding spell.

  “Go snag it up before someone else absconds with your heart’s delight,” I advised, pointing toward a whimsical scarf that had caught my eye. It made me think of Paris in the spring. The emerald green hues were juxtaposed by the fascinating blues, and the colors would go perfectly with my peacock earrings. I didn’t want to chance someone else buying it before I could hand over my dollar bill. “I want to buy that scarf from Karen. I can’t believe she’s selling it.”

  “Okay, but meet me over at Dee’s table the moment you’re done.” Heidi hoisted up her heavy tote laden with her newfound treasures over her shoulder, her blonde curls getting stuck underneath. She didn’t seem to mind, though, as she began to march onward in search of more elusive booty. She made sure to get in the last word over her shoulder. “I want your thoughts on a cut crystal bowl that I might buy for my desk. I remembered Beetle said he always kept mints and hard candy on hand for his customers. I’m thinking I should do the same.”

  Beetle was the former accountant in town, and the one who’d sold his small firm and his Rolodex of dedicated customers to Heidi. It was her dream come true to own her own financial advisor and accounting business, and our lives had finally gotten on a track where there was only a bright clear path ahead.

  Speaking of Beetle, though, he just so happened to be my new part-time employee at the tea shop. He’d still wanted to keep his beak wet, whatever that meant. He was eager for something to do during his
retirement so that he wasn’t sitting idle, but he sure wasn’t the finest student of the retail side of things. He was a creature of habit after all those years calculating taxes, so not necessarily the best salesclerk. On the bright side, the shop’s books have never been more balanced than they were today.

  “Hi, Karen,” I called out as I began to walk up her driveway. She had initially set up four tables, but she’d consolidated what she had left onto two smaller ones as she sold off her wares. It was a good bet that by the time seven o’clock rolled around, she’d only have a few items left to store in a box in her garage for next year or she might just give them to charity. “Has today been a success?”

  “Oh, yes,” Karen exclaimed, leaning forward on her chair so that she could rest her elbows on the table next to a small grey tea box where she was no doubt keeping her earnings from today’s sales. Empty tea boxes were just like cigar boxes in the end. They tended to accumulate keepsakes after they were emptied of their original contents. “Heidi stopped by earlier and bought some knickknacks for her new house. I bet you’re thrilled that she’s finally moved to town.”

  “I am,” I replied with a genuine smile. “Having her here all the time makes Paramour Bay feel a lot more like home to me. How’s Otis doing with his arthritis?”

  I picked up the scarf, noticing the price tag read one dollar as expected. It was too bad that Karen wasn’t selling more scarves like this one or else I would have bought at least ten of them. My taste in clothes aired on the side of whimsical, with flowy sleeves and peacock skirts that twirled around my ankles rather than above my knees like most women my age.

  I guess one could say with my long black hair, emerald green eyes, and prominent cheekbones that I resembled a witch. The title no longer bothered me, and I had come to embrace the Marigold lineage with enthusiasm. There was something cathartic about giving back to the community in a way that almost no one else knew about outside of the magical realm.

  Well, with the exception of Heidi, of course.

  It had been beyond my ability to keep her in the dark about the most significant discovery of my new life. After all, she was my best friend whom I confided everything to, and keeping secrets from her just wasn’t in the cards. Of course, I’d broken a sacred coven rule by doing so, but I couldn’t see what all the fuss was about considering the Marigold family had been excommunicated from the coven, anyway.

  The banishment had happened many, many years ago for consorting with a male human against the explicit demands of the governing council. Expulsion and cutting ties with the coven had been Nan’s punishment, and she’d chosen Paramour Bay as her home until it had been her time to cross into the afterlife.

  “I swear, that tea blend you sell my husband every week must be magic. Being the sheriff for so many years took a toll on his knees, that’s for sure. He’s actually golfing today, if you can believe that. Nothing like retirement and a healthy outlook to get one out of the house on such a beautiful day. He left the house by four-thirty this morning, bent on catching a few prime bluegill before his afternoon tee time.” Karen took the dollar bill that I’d fished out of my wallet before pointing up the street with a concerned expression. “Isn’t that your rescue cat? It was so sweet of you to take in such a disheveled-looking thing, and he’s become so loyal to you in return. I can only imagine what your vet bills must be every month, but the love of a rescue animal is unlike any other, isn’t it? Why, our Dolly is going to be fourteen years old this summer, and she’s the light of our lives.”

  I took no offense to the fact that everyone thought my familiar, Leo, had to be a rescue cat. His appearance did leave a lot to be desired, what with his bulging left eye and crooked whiskers. I shouldn’t leave out that his tail resembled a hanger that someone had used as a makeshift antenna. He was also carrying a bit of too much weight for the size of his munchkin legs, and there were tufts of hair sticking out at various odd angles.

  Technically, Leo had belonged to my Nan.

  You see, Nan had broken another coven rule by dabbling in dark magic. Her intentions had been good, though. As a matter of fact, her using a necromancy spell to keep Leo from crossing over to the other realm had been done in the name of love. Not that there was just one plane of existence to move on to, because in reality there were a vast amount more.

  Sorry.

  Sometimes I get distracted with all the new things I’ve come to discover within the supernatural realm.

  Getting back to where we were…

  Nan had wanted Leo left on this plane of existence so that I had someone to guide me through this new life I’d been granted. Witchcraft wasn’t an easy craft to learn, you know. I definitely needed the extra help.

  Mind you, I was referring to white magic. I couldn’t even imagine dabbling in black magic like Nan had done on a few occasions, especially when doing so resulted in unwanted consequences for everyone involved. It was the major reason for Leo’s disheveled appearance. Then there was the other result of dark magic—his short-term memory loss.

  Short-term might be a bit too generous, but that saga was a story for another time.

  Anyway, I hadn’t known the Marigold women were witches until last October, Halloween to be exact, when I’d moved my entire life here to Paramour Bay. Trust me, I’d thought I was going certifiably insane the first time I’d heard Leo speak as if he were a person. I had been one phone call away from having Heidi whisk me off to the looney bin, but Leo had quickly caught me up on the life of a Marigold that I had been meant to live.

  Raven, Raven.

  Speak of the devil.

  Have you seen Skippy? His evil band of ninja squirrels chucked some acorns at my head. I could have gotten a concussion if their aim wasn’t so bad. They’ve taken things too far this time, and it’s going to mean their demise. This town is only big enough for one master, and I want it back. They have no idea the resources I have at my disposal.

  I tucked my new scarf into my tote bag before kneeling down and stroking Leo’s back. He must be really worked up over his ongoing battle with the neighborhood squirrels, because he was usually careful about talking to me in front of the other residents. Not that they could hear him, and he usually disappeared when the going got tough.

  Who was I kidding?

  Leo could have cared less who heard his raspy meow. Plus, he would have thought it a bonus had I flubbed up and been made to look foolish talking to him as if he were my only friend in the world. He’d been laughing over his comment about me becoming the old hag living on the edge of town with only her cat for company.

  “Leo, what are you doing so far away from the tea shop?” I murmured, wanting Karen to believe that I had things under control. “Did you miss me?”

  Cut the sappy stuff, Raven. I’m serious. That squirrel has got to go. Have you seen Skippy or not? I’ve been hunting him all day, but he’s been one step ahead of me the entire afternoon. He and his minions have gotten smarter, and they are just one acorn away from world domination.

  I hadn’t seen the particular squirrel that Leo was referring to, but then again, I’d been working much of the day inside my shop. Skippy was easier to spot than the other squirrels due to the white patch of fur he had on the side of his right leg. I’m pretty sure it was a war wound from last year’s epic battle.

  Fine. I’ll just have to wait until tomorrow morning to restart my hunt, but I’m not getting up before sunrise. It’s unseemly to be dragging my old rear out of bed before the sun comes up. Besides, it’s Friday night. I plan to smoke my catnip pipe in celebration that your latest spell didn’t kill anyone off. That reminds me, did my monthly supply of premium organic catnip arrive at the shop today? I’m expecting a delivery from Honduras. I really don’t like it when you give Beetle the day off. I didn’t get my special edible treat this morning. It’s beyond cruel.

  “I think Leo has actually lost a pound or two,” Karen said after having peered over the table to look down at him. “This is a safe neighborhood,
Raven. Everyone knows Leo, and he’s a smart enough cat to stick to the yards. I think his daily walks are getting him in shape.”

  One insult, and one compliment. How am I supposed to react to that kind of ambiguity, Raven? Never mind, don’t answer that. I’ll meet you at home away from the peasants. All this social mingling is likely to make my tufts fall out.

  Only Leo would take the compliment of losing weight as an insult. He probably thought I was starving him to death. Heidi had been telling him that he had the frame of a Greek god, just as any self-respecting tomcat should. She was very good for his ego.

  “Leo does like to roam the neighborhoods from time to time,” I replied with a smile. “I should get going. Heidi wants me to take a look at a basket that Dee is selling.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want the bracelet that I bought to go along with that scarf?” Karen pointed toward the end of the table, where a small basket of costume jewelry sat by its lonesome. “It’s nothing fancy, but I just don’t like the feel of anything jangling on my wrists anymore. It gives me the heebie-jeebies nowadays. It’s amazing how our tastes change the older we get, isn’t it?”

  Considering that I was only thirty years old, I’m pretty sure that was a rhetorical question. I personally loved bracelets, and the more they jingled the better in my mind. The sign hanging on the basket read fifty cents apiece, and that was one bargain I couldn’t pass up. Heidi would wait for me, plus she would completely understand since my delay was due to my costume jewelry fetish.

  Can you manage a second to look up in that tree for me? I can’t quite see that squirrel’s side, and the coastal breeze is going in the opposite direction. It might very well be Skippy, hiding there in plain sight.

  I did as Leo asked, knowing he wouldn’t head home until I verified whether or not it was Skippy in the tree. A quick glance revealed that it was just another random squirrel ninja, and not Leo’s diabolical nemesis…Skippy the squirrel.